Shifting to Action
Each day we are confronted with headlines that feed into a growing atmosphere of uncertainty. From global instability to rapid technological shifts, many people are left wondering: what does the future hold? And more personally, how do we stay steady when the world around us feels unpredictable and sometimes overwhelming? New research points to how we handle change through emotion intensity and how it relates to how much information and options we consider1.
In these moments, our emotional responses are not just about mindset or attitude – they are deeply rooted in how the brain processes threat and change. We may find ourselves swinging between heightened worry and anxious overthinking on one side, and a detached sense of disinterest or hopelessness on the other.
These are not just fleeting emotions, but patterns that tie directly into brain function. To understand how we navigate this spectrum between anxiety and apathy, we need to start with the limbic brain – the part of the brain that governs emotion and survival instincts.
"Learning how to regulate the limbic brain is key to emotional well-being."
Deep within the limbic brain, the amygdala is constantly scanning for danger, drawing our attention to anything that might represent a potential threat. When a worry lasts longer than a fleeting moment, it tends to shift to the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST). While the amygdala is responsible for the initial fear response – like reacting to a loud bang or traumatic event – the BNST is more involved in sustained worry and chronic stress2. Although neuroscience is still uncovering the full functions of these regions, research suggests the BNST plays a central role in persistent anxiety states. Both are part of the limbic system, which plays a central role in how we experience and respond to the world around us. Learning how to regulate this part of the brain is key to emotional well-being.
There are two main opportunities available to us here – one proactive, and the other reactive.
- Proactively, we can reduce the reactivity of the limbic brain. This involves introspection, challenging unhelpful beliefs, investing in personal growth, and creating an environment where our future concerns are acknowledged and managed. The result is a deeper sense of confidence and emotional security.
- Reactively, in the moments when something triggers a sense of threat, we can respond by exploring our options and taking constructive action. When done early enough, this can prevent the worry from progressing into prolonged stress and rumination.
Recent research underscores the importance of both proactive and reactive strategies. Strong activation of the limbic brain can lead to unproductive thought patterns – lingering on problems without making progress. In today’s world, there’s no shortage of these triggers, and the resulting anxieties can pile up over time.
Yet on the other end of the spectrum, we may find ourselves slipping into something that looks quite different – apathy. A place where the question becomes not “what can I do?” but rather “what’s the point?”
Apathy and Low Energy
Apathy is a lack of emotional engagement – a state where we’re not interested enough to care about the outcomes or consider different possibilities. While apathy shares some surface similarities with depression, such as low motivation or energy, it can also exist independently and is often marked more by indifference than sadness. There isn’t enough emotional energy to spark action. The result is often emotional flatness or disengagement, resembling aspects of depression, where motivation is difficult to summon.
In our research connecting the PR6 Resilience Model with the Big 5 personality traits, we’ve found that apathy strongly correlates with the Vision domain – our sense of purpose and long-term goals3. Without Vision, we lack direction. We stop investing in life, and this can lead to a hollow form of disengagement.
At times, this may even look like a type of resilience – not caring or being unaffected by life’s challenges. But it is more accurately described as nihilistic resilience – a way to describe a defensive withdrawal from life, often developed through past hurt, repeated disappointments, or a perceived string of failures. This kind of response may be driven by lower dopamine levels, which reduce our sense of motivation and emotional drive. When combined with depression, it often comes with elevated cortisol, contributing to inflammation and physiological stress.
"Apathy is a lack of emotional engagement – not enough interest or emotional energy to spark action."
Interestingly, recent research has shown that apathetic individuals are more likely to interpret uncertainty as stochastic – that is, the result of random chance – rather than volatile, where outcomes change due to shifting circumstances. This interpretation can make people feel like their actions do not matter, resulting in fewer attempts to explore or learn from the environment. Over time, this reduced exploration limits feedback from new outcomes, reinforcing the belief that change is not possible – and further entrenching apathy.
Anxiety and Closed Loops
On the other end of the emotional spectrum lies high arousal – anxiety. This is when emotional energy spikes, driving us to think through possibilities, seek solutions, and evaluate risks. While this can be helpful, too much activation traps us in mental loops. We become stuck – turning over the same thoughts, revisiting the same worries, and unable to take decisive action.
This is the space of unhelpful rumination. Ideally, we would consider our options, make a choice, follow through, and move on. But instead, we spin our wheels. We exhaust ourselves in overthinking, without gaining ground.
In these moments, the Composure domain becomes essential. Composure helps regulate emotional intensity and brings us back to a calmer state. From there, the Reasoning domain allows us to re-engage resourcefully – solving problems, challenging negative beliefs, and identifying constructive next steps.
"Too much emotional activation traps us in mental loops – revisiting the same worries without gaining ground."
Interestingly, the same research found that individuals with anxiety tend to perceive uncertainty as stemming from volatility – a belief that the world is rapidly changing in unpredictable ways. To simplify, think of volatility as changes we can learn from, and stochasticity as randomness we cannot control. This drives a tendency toward more exploratory behaviour, especially after negative feedback. While some individuals with anxiety are driven to explore in an attempt to reduce uncertainty, others may avoid exploration if the perceived risks outweigh the potential for clarity. Anxious individuals may switch strategies quickly, seeking new information in an attempt to regain control. However, this can backfire when the environment is not actually volatile – leading to confusion and reinforcing uncertainty.
Constructive Action
Between apathy and anxiety lies a powerful space of constructive action – where we feel just enough emotional energy to be engaged, but not so much that it overwhelms us. In this space, we seek information, explore realistic options, and most importantly, take action.
Taking action does not mean solving everything at once. Consider someone who has just been rejected from a university course or job. There may be no immediate solution – but the act of making a plan, drafting new applications, or researching alternatives brings relief. This forward motion sends a message to the brain: “I’m still in control.” It restores hope and momentum.
"Close enough is good enough. Done is better than perfect."
Here we also need to let go of perfectionism. It’s easy to get caught thinking there must be a perfect answer, or an ideal solution before we move. But in most cases:
- Close enough is good enough.
- Done is better than perfect.
These mantras can help us make decisions, act, and avoid being trapped by overanalysis.
What Ado About Apathy and Anxiety?
When we find ourselves at either extreme – apathy or anxiety – we can take steps to shift into that more constructive space in the middle.
Our research into how PR6 resilience domains relate to the Big 5 personality factors shows clear pathways to help our brains find this balance:
- To shift out of apathy, work on the Vision domain. Reconnect with purpose, set meaningful goals, take risks, and actively re-engage with life.
- To manage anxiety, begin with Composure – use breathing techniques, identify and label your emotions, and practice cognitive reappraisal. These skills downregulate the limbic brain and activate the prefrontal cortex, where you can shift into Reasoning – using logic, creativity, and problem-solving to move forward.
In light of the latest computational neuroscience research, we can now better understand why these strategies work. Perceiving outcomes as volatile encourages learning and action but can trigger anxiety if left unchecked. Perceiving outcomes as stochastic discourages exploration, reinforcing apathy. A healthy mind balances both interpretations – acknowledging uncertainty, but also believing that action can shape outcomes.
By proactively building these skills, we also reduce the risk of future distress. As confidence in your ability to handle challenges grows, the limbic brain becomes less reactive. You become more grounded and better equipped to meet life where it happens – not with apathy or anxiety, but with calm action and inner clarity.
All the best in resilience,
Jurie
Want to use the PR6 Model?
Here are ways you can use the PR6 as a valuable tool to get insight into resilience:
- For team resilience assessment – Contact us for a team report, or contact a Certified Resilience Coach in your area
- For your own resilience – Get started with the Driven Resilience App
- For your practice – Become a Certified Resilience Coach (CReC) to get access to use the PR6 with your clients
References
1. Yan, X., Ebitz, R. B., Grissom, N., Darrow, D. P., & Herman, A. B. (2025). Distinct computational mechanisms of uncertainty processing explain opposing exploratory behaviors in anxiety and apathy. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.↩
2. Lebow, M. A., & Chen, A. (2016). Overshadowed by the amygdala: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis emerges as key to psychiatric disorders. Molecular psychiatry, 21(4), 450-463.↩
3. Rossouw, J. G. (2024). Defining protective resilience: The 85% threshold for personality development and mental health risk reduction. Education & Training, 137, 6-7.↩
